Chimney tile grapple



fi 1957 A. SCHARDINGER 2,794,669

CHIMNEY TILE GRAPPLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 10, 1956 aazxammm nLoYws SCHHRDINGER ATTOk/YEX June .4, 1957 A. SCHARDINGER 2,794,669

CHIMNEY TILE GRAPPLE Filed July 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m d: a? P m v v w INVENTOR.

nLoYslos scumzomesz 14 77' OR/YE X United States Patent CI-mVlNEY TILE GRAPPLE Aloysius Schardinger, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application July 10, 1956, Serial No. 596,993

4 Claims. (Cl. 294-97) This invention relates generally to grappling implements and more specifically to improvements in such implements for handling chimney tile units while relining a chimney.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved implement for placing chimney tile units during a ch mney relining operation.

Another principal object of the present invention is to provide such an implement which is adapted for handling chimney tile units that vary widely in size.

And still another principal object of the present invention is to provide such an implement which is adapted to be inserted bodily into the tile unit and which is arranged not only for carrying the tile unit but additionally for securing the same against tilting while being lowered into the chimney.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as described in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an implement constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, being shown in open (i. e., in expanded or working) condition;

Figure 2 is a side view of the implement shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is the same as Figure 1, however, the implement is shown in closed (i. e., in collapsed or nonworking) condition;

Figure 4 is an elevation of another form of the implement, being shown in open (i. e., in expanded or working) condition;

Figure 5 is a side view of the implement shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is the same as Figure 4, however, the implement is shown in closed (i. e., collapsed or non-working) condition.

Referring to the embodiment of Figures 1, 2 and 3, and particularly to Figure 3, the implement comprises a pair of rigid plate members 10-10 each of which has an arcuately shaped main body part 11 and an integral part 12 that bracingly interconnects the opposite end portions of the main body part 11. The crown portions respectively of the main body parts 1111 are disposed in overlapping side abutting relation and pivotally secured together at 13.

The lower end portions of the rigid plate members 10-10 are interconnected by a tension coil spring 14. A lock bar 15 is pivotally mounted at 16 upon the upper end of one of the rigid plate members aforesaid. The upper end of the other rigid plate member is fitted with a laterally extending pin 17 which is adapted to engage in a notch 18 formed in the lower edge of the free end portion of the lock bar 15.

For lowering the implement, a suspension line 19 is "ice provided, which line comprises a ring 20 and a pair of downwardly diverging sections 21-21 of the line, the latter being connected respectively with the upper end portions of the rigid plate members 12-12. For operating the lock bar 15, a second line 22 is connected to the free end notched portion thereof.

Carried respectively by the rigid plate members 12-12 are a pair of shoes 23-23, which shoes are provided respectively with a pair of flat plate shanks 24-24 that are disposed flatwise against the lower end portions of the rigid plate members 12-12, in downwardly diverging relation to one another. Fixedly secured respectively to the lower extremities of the shanks 24-24 are a pair of rectangular plates 25-25 that are disposed respectively in downwardly converging planes, each of which plate mounts a pair of pads 26-26 made of rubber or the like and secured against displacement by bolts 27. The shanks 24-24 and the rigid plate members 10-10 are provided with sets of registering apertures 28-28 that are spaced axially along the shanks 24-24, each shank 24 being secured against displacement by a pair of bolts 29 each of which is projected through a pair of registering apertures 28-28, as shown.

In the use of the implement, the shoes 23-23 are lowered into the upper end of the hollow chimney tile unit, designated T, and the upper ends of the rigid plate members 10-10 are then manually brought together against the influence of the tension spring 14, whereupon the rigid plate members 10-10 turn about the pivot element 13 and the lower ends thereof and the shoes 23-23 respectively carried thereby are spread apart, the latter being brought into firm engagement with opposed wall areas of the tile unit. Now the locking bar 15 is lowered into engagement with the pin 17, the latter being received by the notch 18. In this condition of the implement, the latter is locked in expanded, working condition (Figure 1). The implement and the tile unit secured thereto in the manner aforesaid are now lowered into the chimney on the end of the suspension line 19. When the tile unit is in place, the operator pulls on the line 22, thereby disengaging the lock bar 15 from the pin 17. Thereupon the coil spring 14 contracts, thereby turning the rigid plate members 10-10 back about the pivot element 13, in consequence of which the lower end portions of the rigid plate members 10-10 and the shoes 23-23 carried thereby are drawn together to their initial positions and the implement disengages from the tile unit. Now the implement may be drawn from the chimney and reloaded.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, it will be observed that the shoes 23-23 may be shifted rectilinearly and secured in any one of a plurality of difierent shifted positions, as illustrated by broken lines. Thus the implement is adapted for handling tile units that range widely in size.

Referring to the embodiment of Figures 4, 5 and 6, and particularly to Figure 6, the modified form of the implement comprises an articulated assembly of rigid fiat bar links including a first pair of crossed links 30 and 31 that have corresponding intermediate portions pivotally connected together at 32, and a second pair of crossed links 33 and 34 that have corresponding intermediate portions pivotally connected together at 35. The lower end portions of the links 33 and 34 are pivotally connected respectively to the upper end portions of the links 30 and 31 at 36 and 37. The distance between the pivots 32 and 36 is the same as the distance between the pivots 37 and 35, and the distance between the pivots 32 and 37 is the same as the distance between the pivots 36 and 35, in consequence of which the links 30 and 34 are disposed in parallel, as well as in coplanar spaced, relation to one another, and the links 31 and 33 are likewise o d p sed in Parallel, a well s n oplanar spaced, relation to one another.

Carried respectively by the rigid links 30 and .31 are a pair of shoes 38-38 including a pair of rectangular plates 39-39 fixedly secured respectively to the free end portions of the links 30 and 31 and disposed respectively indownwardly converging planes, each of which plates mounts a pad 46 made of rubber or the like and secured against displacement by a pair of bolts 41-41.

Carried respectively by the rigid links 33 and 34 are a second pair of shoes 42-42 including a pair of rectangular plates 43-43 fixedly'secured respectively to the free end portions of the links 33 and 34 and disposed respectively in downwardly'diverging planes, each of which plates mounts a pad 44 made of rubber or the like and secured against displacement by a pair of bolts 45-45.

Disposed upright respectively on opposite sides of the assembly of links aforesaid are a third pair of links 46-46 corresponding lower end portions of which are pivotally connected-respectively to the lower end portions of the first pair of links 3%} and 31, as at 47-47. The upper end portions of this third pair of links are pivotally connected together at 48;, to which latter pivot element a suspension line 49 is connected. A second line 51) is connected to the upper end of the link 34 of the second pair of links.

In the use of the modified form of the implement, with the implement suspended from the line 49, the operator pulls upwardly on the line 50, whereupon the implement assumes the closed, non-working condition shown in Figure 6. The implement is now lowered in this condition into the hollow tile unit, and the line 59 is thereafter released, in consequence of whichthe articulated link assembly, under the influence of its own weight, is horizontally extended, the pair of shoes 42-42 being thereby brought into firm engagement with opposed wall areas of the tile unit, at the top of the unit, and the pair of shoes 38 -3 8 being thereby brought into engagement with opposed wall areas of the tile unit, at the bottom of the unit.

When the implement is now raised by the suspension line 49, the tile unit is likewise raised. The greater the weight of the tile unit, the greater the load carried by the shoes 42-42, which weight is transferred to the shoes 42-42 through friction betweenthe tile unit and the shoes 12-42. It will be observed that the greater the load; transferred to the shoes 42-42, the greater the tendency to spread the shoes 42-42 apart for firmer contact-thereof with the tile unit. The implement and thetile unit secured thereto in the manner aforesaid are now lowered into the chimney on the end of the suspension'line 49. When the tile unit is in place, the operator pulls on the line 59, whereupon the implement is restored: to its initial condition, disengaged from the tile unit. Now the implement may be drawn from the chimney and reloaded.

The effective spread of the shoes 38-38 is made slightly less than the effective spread of the shoes 42-42. This may be efiected in various ways, for example, by using readily compressible material for the pads 40-40 and less readily compressible material for the pads 44-44. Alternatively, the overall distance between the outer surfaces of the shoes 38-38 may be slightly less than that between the tile gripping surfaces of the shoes 42-42 so that when the latter are in supporting contact with the tile being lowered into position, the lower set of shoes 38-38 hold the tile against tilting relatively to the vertical axis of the chimney. Thus, the spread of the upper pair of shoes 42-42 dominates the spread of the lower pair of shoes 38-38, in consequence of which, the latter operates in conjunction with the shoes 42-42 merely to secure the tile unit against tilting, not to support the Weight thereof.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time totime without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the invention, and, accordingly, it is intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. in an implement for lowering into a chimney hollow tile units for rel-ining the chimney, a suspension line, an articulated assembly of rigid links including a pair of links having corresponding lower end portions operatively connected respectively to said suspension line and corresponding intermediate portions pivotally secured together, and a second pair of links having corresponding lower end portions pivotally connected respectively to the upper end portions of the first mentioned pair of links and corresponding intermediate portions pivotally secured together, a pair of tile engaging shoes carried respectively by the upper end portions of the last mentioned pair of links, said articulated assembly of links being horizontally extensible for spreading said shoes apart a distance suificient for engagement thereof respectively with opposed wall areas of the tile unit, whereby the tile unit is frictionally' held by the implement, and a second line connected to the upper end of one of said links and operable'for restoring said implement to its initial condition, after the tile unit has been lowered into place.

2'. In an implement as defined in claim 1 wherein a third pair of rigid links interconnect the suspension line with the first mentioned pair of links, the said third pair of. links being disposed respectively on opposite sides of the other pairs of links and in downwardly diverging relation to one another.

3. In an implement as defined in claim 1 wherein the lower ends of the first mentioned pair of links likewise carry respectively a pair of tile engaging shoes that are spread apart when the assembly of articulated links are horizontally extended.

4. In an implement as defined in claim 1 wherein the lower ends of the first mentioned pair of links likewise carry respectively a pair of tile unit engaging shoes, the latter being spread apart simultaneously with the upper pair of tile unit engaging shoes for securing the tile unit against tilting while suspended from the upper pair of the tile unit engagingshoes.

References Cited in the file of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

